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SAD(A) files misappropriation
case against SGPC members Amritsar, November 11 The petitioner sought the disqualification of all 31 members, and debarring them from casting votes in the annual election of the SGPC to be held on November 20. Mr Mann also sought immediate resignation of Mr Tohra for “allowing misappropriation” of gurdwara funds. It may be mentioned here that the SAD (Mann) had filed seven petitions against the SGPC members yesterday. Among those against whom the petition has been filed include Ujagar Singh
Rangretta, Mal Singh Ghuman, Shiv Singh Khushipur, late Puran Singh Josh, Hardyal Singh Brar, Thakur Singh
Khumano, Joginder Singh Yogi, Baldev Singh, Dileep Singh Mallu Nangal, Rattan Singh
Alhoran, Sukhdev Singh Libra, Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Kabal Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Saroop Singh, Kuldeep Singh
Wadala, Sucha Singh, Prem Singh Lalpura, Surjit Singh Cheema, Karamjit Singh
Panjwarh, Tota Singh, Baldev Singh Sibia, Suba Singh, Giani Gopal Singh, Kartar Singh
Takar, Dalbir Singh Shah, Darshan Singh Issapur, late Joginder Singh Bhutani and Gurcharan Singh Bedi and SGPC’s honorary secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta. The petitioner said that in violation of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, a loan of Rs 20 lakh was sanctioned to the Sikh Educational Society (SES) in 1990. He said that instead of recovering the loan along with the interest, the executive committee of the SGPC passed a resolution on October 13, 1995, for converting the entire amount into an aid to the SES. While waiving off the loan, about 30 members of the SGPC were also nominated as members of SES, he added. He said that till October 12, 1995, the SGPC had incurred a loss of Rs 30,65,327. The petitioner alleged that the above nomination fee of Rs 2 lakh was paid to SES from the SGPC funds in gross violation of the Sikh gurdwara Act, 1925. He said the SGPC had formed a sub-committee on May 12, 1999, to inquire into the matter, which found all persons guilty in its report and also recommended legal action against them by filing an application before the commission on July 12, 1999. |
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Jamali accepts siropa from SGPC Amritsar, November 11 A joint deputation of the SGPC, the DSGMC, led by Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, and radical Sikhs, including Mr Manmohan Singh Bajaj and Mr Avtar Singh Sanghera — UK-based leaders of the Dal Khalsa and the Babbar Khalsa, respectively, Mr Rajinder Singh Chhatwal (UK) and Mr Pritpal Singh, president of the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, met Mr Jamali at his residence and discussed various issues pertaining to the Sikh community and gurdwaras. Though radical Sikhs accompanied the SGPC and the DSGMC, yet the issue of a separate Sikh state was not discussed during their 35-minute meeting with Mr Jamali. Talking to TNS from Islamabad, Mr Sarna said the meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere and Mr Jamali agreed in Principle to accept all genuine demands of the delegation. Office-bearers of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, including the Chairman, Lt-Gen Naim Akbar Khan, Mr Sham Singh (Co-Chairman) and former PSGPC members Mr Gyan Singh (a member of National Assembly), Mr Naam Singh, Mr Mastan Singh and the Federal Minister, Mr Raiz Munir Ahmed, were also present during the meeting. Mr Sarna claimed that Mr Jamali agreed to form an International Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee by expanding the PSGPC. In the proposed committee, due representation would be given to the SGPC, the DSGMC, the AGPC, Takht Hazur Sahib, Takht Patna Sahib and Sikhs from all over the world. Mr Sarna said Mr Jamali agreed to help the Sikh community to locate and identify the sites of 40 gurdwaras, which had vanished after Partition. |
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Poverty made girls dance to agents’ tune Jagraon, November 11 The role of a doctor in Ludhiana, who conducted the medical examination of duped youths, claiming to have been authorised by the Canadian Embassy, has also come under a cloud during the police investigations. A high-level team of the Jagraon police questioned the doctor in Ludhiana today. Two of the three girls who posed as NRI brides, ironically, had a disturbed marriage life while the third one, Renu, was unmarried. The accused girls, Manjit Kaur, alias Goggi, and Rittu are divorces. Rittu (23) was married at the minor age of 17 and has three children. Manjit Kaur has one. Living a life of abject poverty, the girls were lured into the racket at a paltry payment of Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 for marriage even as the travel agent, Mohinder Singh, and the cloth merchant, Kimti Lal Jain, made nearly Rs 2 crore by duping 10 youths, identified so far. They earned peanuts as dancing girls. ‘‘It was very hard for us,’’ said Manjit Kaur. The police investigation revealed that the girls had no criminal background and were swayed by circumstances. Police sources said this was not to say that the girls had an excuse, but their case was a point to study for sociologists. How did the girls pass as English-speaking modern NRI girls? Talking to The Tribune, they revealed that they used to fake some ailment and remained quiet. ‘‘The bridegroom and his family were more concerned about the validity of the papers and we spent very less time with them,’’ they said. Mohinder’s wife Swaranjit Kaur and Renu Jain, wife of co-accused Kimti Lal Jain, explained the ailment of the girls and gave details about their addresses abroad. Giving details, Jagraon SSP Mukhwinder Singh Chhina and DSP Jatinder Singh Khaira disclosed that they had confiscated a computer from a photo studio in Jalandhar during a raid. The police was investigating the role of the studio owner in the fraud. It has been alleged that the main accused, Mohinder Singh and Kimti Lal Jain, had acquired two valid emigration documents. They made duplicate copies after scanning the documents using a computer. Meanwhile, the five accused — Mohinder Singh, his wife Swaran Kaur, Manjit Kaur, alias Goggi, Rittu and Renu — were remanded in police custody till November 14 by a district court here. |
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Photographer detained Jalandhar, November 11 The Jagraon police, which had busted a gang dealing in marriage racket with the help of dancer girls after posing them as Canadian women, had reportedly raided the Civil Line shop of the photographer who was also working as a photo-journalist with a local Hindi daily and confiscated the equipment after revelations made allegedly by Mahinder Singh and Swaranjit Kaur, the two arrested travel agents that the photographer was providing them fake documents. The photographer, however, was told by the raiding part to face investigating officers at Jagraon today, where he was reportedly detained by the police. “He will be arrested if found involved and nothing would be done if he was merely photocopying documents,” said a police official. |
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Policy on toll awaits Punjab Cabinet nod Chandigarh, November 11 For trucks and buses, the toll will be three times the proposed 35 paise per km (PCU) and for light commercial vehicles one-and-a-half times of that. These proposals are for six state highways or major district roads selected in the first phase. In all 18 such corridors have been shortlisted. If 35 paise per km PCU is accepted by the Cabinet, one would pay a toll of Rs 35 for a 100-km journey. The toll will become operative first on the Chandigarh-Jalandhar highway and the Jagraon-Sidhwanbet road in the next one or two months. It will be levied only after the designated roads are fully developed on a BOT (build-operate-transfer) basis by private companies in about 15 to 20 months. The agency involved in the execution of these six roads is the Punjab Roads and Bridges Development Board (PRBDB), which has shortlisted 16 companies for the job, notwithstanding its controversial involvement with the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB), which will execute the remaining 12 identified roads. The PRBDB expects private investment of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore. The six state highways selected under the public-private sector partnership on a BOT basis are the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara, Sirhind-Morinda-Ropar, Southern Bypass Ludhiana-Neelon up to Ludhiana-Ferozepur T-junction, Bhiwanigarh-Nabha-Gobindgarh, Ferozepur City-Makhu-Mallwanwala and Dakha-Halwara-Raikot -Barnala roads. PWD Minister Partap Singh Bajwa confirmed that a policy on toll was ready but refused to reveal the details till the Cabinet had approved it. Meanwhile, confusion over supremacy in road-building between the two boards remains unresolved with the PWD left only for undertaking patch-work though the technical manpower and machinery is with the department. This is being shared by the two boards as the political tug-of-war between bureaucrats in the two organisations continues. |
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Bajwas own land worth crores in Ropar, alleges SAD leader Chandigarh, November 11 Mr Bajwa, however, refuted the allegations saying that “I do not own a single inch of land in Ropar district”. The malicious observations made against him by Mr Matharu were part of a well-organised conspiracy to malign his image politically as was done in the past. He was being targeted by vested interests for political reasons, Mr Bajwa added. Mr Matharu, who also issued a 10-page press note at the press conference giving details of the land allegedly owned by the Bajwas, said that a CBI inquiry should be held against Mr Bajwa and other members of his family to find out the sources of funds to buy these properties. Mr Matharu said about 213 acres of land worth Rs 8.52 crore was owned by the Bajwas in Bharojian village. The Bajwas also owned land in Nada village and one of their employees owned land in Karora village, the SAD leader claimed. Besides, the Bajwas had one factory at Gurdaspur, one at Jalalpur, near Lalru. A kothi was being constructed in Sector 8, Chandigarh, the SAD leader alleged. |
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Finance Dept blocks work on Kandi Canal Hoshiarpur, November 11 As a result of this as many as 300 employees, including one Superintending Engineer, four Executive Engineer, 15 Sub Divisional Engineers, 70 Junior Engineers, work charge employees, clerical & Class IV staff of Kandi Canal construction Circle, Hoshiarpur, are sitting idle. The state government is spending Rs 4.25 crore annually for their establishment without any work. |
Blue lotus meditation gaining ground in USA Chandigarh, November 11 Born in Ludhiana on May 10, 1957, Ashok Vir Sharma, as he was known before he took up divinity, had his schooling in Saint Joseph Academy, Dehra Dun. He took his Masters degree in psychology from Delhi University in 1974. He also taught at that university as a visiting professor for some time. He saw “divine light” at Manali. He started delivering discourses at various platforms. In mid-eighties, he shifted to the USA and set up the first international centre of “Balaji Dham” at Hollywood in Los
Angeles. He also did his doctorate in human psychology from the University of California. Now the centres have been opened in New Jersey, Durbin in South Africa and Arstanat in Germany. He frequently visits this part of the country. He delivers lectures in colleges and tells students not to shun old values
outrightly. Making his teachings not too heavy for the young generation, the Swami tells them to learn to respect their parents and elders. He also tells them not to be too religious lest they start taking “Ram ka aasra” for passing examinations without studying. Talking to TNS at the residence of Justice N.C.
Kichi, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Swami Balaji said the spiritualism could be obtained not by self-restraint but by meditation and happiness in life. One need not relinquish this world to reach the “other” world. He said God purposely gave mankind worldly desires and allowed mankind to develop these freely. The creator wanted the man to utilise natural resources created by Him to create paradise on Earth. However, mankind be came a slave to his desires and accumulated sins and lost its ability to communicate with God. The Swami says the mankind is now even denying the existence of God and is trying to use scientific knowledge for fulfiling its selfish and unjust desires. The extent of the man’s destructiveness today is beyond even the destructive power of nature and is now even threatening the divinity as well. Balaji says the divine patience has been repeatedly tried. The mankind will have to go through “baptism with fire” through a great convulsion of nature, which would thoroughly purify the pollution of the Earth and the spiritual pollution of the mankind. Those who survive this natural holocaust, will create the next spiritual civilisation. Three-day initiation sessions(known as Prem Shivar) are held at the Balaji Dham centres for the beginners, who have to wear skyblue clothes. The stress remains on meditation, sessions of which go on increasing in duration gradually. Discourses are delivered only for about 30 minutes. Swami
Balaji, who plans to set up a centre in Ludhiana also, is a member of the New Jersey-based World Peace Organisation. He will lead a 21-member delegation of the organisation to Jammu and Kashmir to appeal to saner elements to resist violence “as love ends negativity”. |
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Pak trade delegation arrives Amritsar, November 11 The traders will exhibit their goods in the ongoing international trade fair held in New Delhi from November 7. Pakistani traders had already sent their goods, including furniture, leather goods, toys, plastic material and crockery
through the sea route. Talking to the media at the check post, Mr Sayyad said rail and air links should also be restored between the two countries. |
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Sex determination tests: IMA to set up task force Bathinda, November 11 In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, protesting the alleged harassment of doctors by the district administration, IMA members stated that they would not conduct ultrasound scans on pregnant women till the cases against some of doctors were withdrawn. It may be recalled that a special cell set up by the district administration to check female foeticide had booked some doctors for allegedly determining the sex of the foetus. The protesting doctors alleged that cases had been registered against some of the doctors in the court without seeking the opinion of the district appropriate authority and the expert committee formed under the Act, and were hence, conjectural and frivolous. They also decided that sonologists will not send Form-F every week to the district administration but a report of ultrasound cases would be sent before the fifth of every month. The members also stated that the practice of buying Form-F for Rs 10 and sending it back every week, which is not required under the PNDT Act, is being stopped. They said the practice, which was in force only in Bathinda, had been accepted by IMA members in good faith only and was being discontinued now. |
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20 hurt in group clash Sangrur, November 11 According to sources a majority of the injured were Dalits. some of them had been admitted to the Dhuri Civil Hospital while Ms Gurcharan Kaur one of the injured, had been referred to the Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Sources said the trouble started in the morning over the issue of entry into the disputed land by some persons. An altercation took place between the members of both communities which turned violent later. The policemen sustained injuries when they went to pacify members of both the groups. These policemen were the members of a police party that was camping in the village to avert any untoward incident between the Dalits and the zimidaars. Later, a police party, accompanied by the Dhuri DSP and the SHO, rushed to the village and brought the situation under control. The SDM of Dhuri also reportedly visited the spot to take stock of the situation. |
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SP, DSP visit ‘disputed’ land Zirakpur, November 11 Mr Inder Mohan Singh, SP (Detective), also got a video film recorded of the disputed land beside getting some photographs clicked. He also took all those records relating to the land on which both parties were staking their claims. The SP also heard the complaints of Col B.S. Gauraya (retd), Chairman, Titan Motors (Pvt) Ltd., Col J.S. Bal (retd), president, Rashtriya Raksha Dal, Punjab, and the buyer of the land Mr Puneet Bhardwaj, son of Mr R.R. Bhardwaj, Deputy Chairman of the Punjab Planing board. While Colonel Bal is an eyewitness of the incident relating to heated arguments between the Deputy Chairman of the Punjab Planing Board and the Punjab Minister for Public Grievances on November 8 morning. While talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Manmohan Kumar Sharma, DSP, Dera Bassi, said the revenue records would be properly verified for necessary action. The District Congress Committee President, Mr Hardyal Singh Kamboj, Mr Amrit Pal Singh, president, Dera Bassi, Municipal Council, Mr Prem Singh, President, City Congress Dera Bassi, and some other persons of the area also visited the site during SP’s two-and-a-half hour stay, there. |
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Chief Khalsa Diwan poll Amritsar, November 11 This was announced by Mr Harminder Singh, acting president of the diwan in a press note released here today. |
Pay damages to complainant, says rights panel Pathankot, November 11 The commission observed that the amount of compensation may be recovered by the government from the ASI. Bishamber Dass had moved the commission alleging that ASI Baldev Singh, posted at Sadar police station here, on July 26, 2001, snatched Rs 6515 and
manhandled him. The commission has sent copies of the orders to the Principal Secretary (Home) the IGP (Litigation) and the complainant, and fixed December 24 for review of action. |
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Docs told to pay 2 lakh for patient’s death Ropar, November 11 The forum comprising its president, Mr J.P. Gupta and a member, Mr
S.K. Bhatia, delivered the judgement in a case in which a complainant Nasib Kaur had said her husband Ajit Singh, who was suffering severe pain, had been admitted to Modern Hospital in Hoshiarpur on April 25, 2000. Doctors at the hospital advised him surgery for
hernia. |
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High Court Chandigarh, November 11 In his petition, Sandeep Ashta of Patiala had earlier sought directions to the respondents for allowing him to appear in the interviews being held till November 25. The petitioner had initially applied for the examinations in pursuance of an advertisement issued in 1998, but could not clear the main examination. He again applied, this time also in general category. However, on July 1, the petitioner submitted an application to the authorities for considering his claim as a backward class candidate. After hearing the arguments and going through the documents, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice J.S. Khehar and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta, dismissed the petition.
Corruption case In a petition filed before the High Court, Punjab’s former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s nephew, Manpreet Badal, on Tuesday sought anticipatory bail in an alleged corruption and cheating case. He was seeking bail in connection with a case registered at a police station in Zira in Ferozepore district under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, besides under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a member of a religious dera. Seeking the grant of bail, Mr Manpreet Badal had claimed that the complaint was totally false. The petition was today returned by the branch concerned due to technical reasons. It will be filed again tomorrow. |
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Hearing in suit against Amarinder adjourned Chandigarh, November 11 Mr Badal alleged that the contents of advertisements published by the Congress during Assembly
elections were false, malicious and contrary to facts on record. The advertisements were issued to
mislead public in hope of getting votes and defame him. Giving details about the case,
Mr Badal further alleged that the advertisements had wrongly conveyed that he had mortgaged the state’s interest in the SYL canal case, besides the future of Punjab farmers, in favour of the Haryana Chief
Minister in lieu of a gift of 22 acres in Gurgaon worth Rs 500 crore. |
Raids detect ST evasion Sangrur, November 11 Giving this information here today, Mr K.V.S. Sidhu, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Sangrur, said on the directions of Mr D.P. Reddy, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab, the authorities raided the firms M/s Hindustan Plastic, M/s Mayur Plastic Industries, M/s Shiva Plastic, M/s S.R. Plastic, and M/s Dhuri Polymers. He said there was specific information that these firms had been concealing sales of plastic goods as well as of raw material worth crores. Mr Sidhu said it had been found that these firms had purchased raw material from Indian Petro Chemical Corporation Private Limited, Ludhiana, worth more than Rs 16.10 crore during 2002-2003, but had shown sales of just Rs 1.09 crore. Thus, tax had been evaded on a turnover of more than Rs 15 crore. |
Naib Tehsildar suspended Faridkot, November 11 The Commissioner also issued a chargesheet to Mr Ram Singh, local Tehsildar, for the same reason. Mr Sarkar, who made a surprise check at various offices in the Mini Secretariat and other places in the town, found several officials absent from duty. The Commissioner, talking to mediapersons, said serious view would be taken of officials not performing their duties effectively. Expressing concern over the deteriorating condition in the Education Department, particularly in the primary section, he said he had suspended two teachers of the Primary School for Girls at Rupana village in Muktsar district recently. He said a large number of teachers in this division had made false registration of students in primary school to secure their own services. |
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One IAS, 3 PCS officers shifted
Chandigarh, November 11 Mr Surinderjit Singh Sandhu has been posted as Special Secretary in the Department of Cooperation. Mrs Jaskaran Kaur has been posted as Additional Director, Administration, in the Office of the DPI (Colleges). Mr Kulwant Singh has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, and Mr Harbhupinder Singh as Additional Secretary in the Department of Defence Services.
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New SSP promises transparency Barnala, November 11 Mr Bhargav made it clear that in discipline in the police force would not be tolerated. He said that he believed in closer inter-action with people, especially on rural public and would visit various villages of the local police district to observe and study the problems faced by them.
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One held in gangrape case Pasla (Jalandhar), November 11 The woman, whose husband is an undertrial in the Jalandhar Central Jail and was facing allegations of selling poppy husk, belonged to the Saansi tribe and is a mother of three kids. Since she was feeling hardship in running the family, she was allured by Deepa and Manjit, two youths of this village, on the pretext that another Saansi youth could provide her with poppy husk so that she could sell it. She was told to go to the village outskirts at around 8 pm. When she went there, Doli, Kala, Sonu and Kashmir allegedly told her to go to a nearby tubewell where she was raped by the six youths. Meanwhile, the Phillaur SHO said Deepa, one of the six accused, has been arrested, while efforts were being made to nab others. He said a case has been registered against them under Sections 376, 148, 149, 508 and 342 of the IPC. |
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Gang of vehicle thieves busted, 4 held Amritsar, November 11 According to report police laid a naka at T-point on Jhabal Road on a tip off and arrested the culprits. Meanwhile, the Sultanwind police seized 950 grams of opium in two separate incidents and arrested two persons Ranjit Singh of New Kot Atma Ram and Kulwinder Singh of the Jahajgarh area here late last evening. A case under Sections 18-61 and 85 of NDPS Act has been registered. |
College lecturer interview from Dec 8 Patiala, November 11 Stating this here today, PPSC Secretary Bhawna Garg said interview letters were being dispatched to all 3,600 candidates who had appeared for the interview and screening test, besides those who were not admitted in the screening test due to non-payment of fee. Ms Garg said the PPSC would shortlist candidates on the basis of their academic record and 1300 candidates would be invited for interview. She said only one interview would be held for candidates who had applied in the 1999 and 2001 batches. However, names would be considered on merit for both batches, with priority given to the 1999 batch. |
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Students protest against attack Sangrur, November 11 In the attack, Bahal Singh, finance secretary of the PRSU, Sukhcharanpreet and Sukhwinder Singh, president and secretary, respectively, of the district PRSU unit, were injured seriously. The protesters demanded that a criminal case be registered against the attackers. They also demanded that the Principal of the Sunam college should be suspended. The PRSU leaders were attacked when they went to the Sunam college to address a rally to demand the refund of hiked fee, already rolled back by the government. |
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